Omaha daily bee., 1887-10-12

people. II was shortly after 10 o'clock this
morning when he reached the wreck, and
Immediately began 10 give his services To the
wounded. Those who were badly hurt when
the crash came, he says, must have had
little chance for their lives, so quickly
had the cars taken fire and SC thorough
was the work of the flames. As an illustra-
tion Of the destruction and difficulty of arriv-
ing at a correct idea of the magnitude of the
disaster the doctor said that probably not a
soul would have been made aware of the all
but total wiping out of the Miller family OF
six had not their boy been saved. DIR. Nc
Kee stated that only nine bodies had been
recovered and they were 80 badly charred as
to be almost beyond recognition, the most
left of scarcely any of them being blackened
trunk and in some cases little beyond a few
handfuls of ashes. The nine were as fol
lows; The Miller family, of Dundee, father,
mother, two brothers and girl; their
fourteen-year-old boy, Herman, will prob
ably die also; DIR. Perry, of North Judson,
Ind, DIR. Perry's wife, DIR. Perry's daughter,
aged eleven, and a young Irish lady.
TACITuRN SUPERINTENDENT.
Superintendent Parsons, of the Chicago &
Atlantic, was seen late in the afternoon
gloomily pacing the station platform. He
was extremely taciturn and was very sure no
more bodies could be, by any possibility,
under the wreck. Only nine persons had
been killed he declared and not more than
eleven or twelve hurt None of the latter
were seriously injured. He admitted that no
Uapm an ndu Deen SenU DaSh ITOln Jne paSSen-
ger train when the stop was make. Mr.
Parsons said that's the trainmen depended
upon semaphore fully two thousand feet
in the rear of where the stop was made.
The conductor of the train said he
pulled the cord for this light when he
the glare of the red danger signal on the
track The night, however, was foggy and
the engineer of the fast freight must have
failed to see the signal. Superintendent
Parsons thought the accident would have
been a very ordinary one had not the stove
in the sleeper upset. That caused
the destruction of the sleeper, two coaches
and the baggage car and in the main was
doubtless the cause of the loss of life.
Coroner Leatherman, MIR. Parsons said,
reached the scene from Valparaiso about
II 80 a. m and after viewing the debris and
making some inquiries, had found 1t neces-
sary to go to Huntington in search of wit
nesses. The wounded, Parsons explained,
and the passengers who were unhurt, to the
number of twenty-five, had been forwarded
to their destinations without delay
1t appears that Coroner Leatherman did
not empanel jury. That procedure is not a
necessity according to the laws of Indiana.
At the wreck the coroner was met by Mr..
Johnson, attorney for the Chicago & Atlantic,
and being told that the engineer of the freight
had been taken with the other survivors to
Huntington, he decided to go there, which he
and several other gentlemen. The coroner is
well spoken of among the people at Kouts
They did not criticise his action in going to
Huntington, believing that he is square. The
coroner is described as being rather q young
man to be charged with such an important
duty as determining the responsibility for the
wreck.
APATHBTIC INCIDENT.
A pathetic incident of the wreck is related
by the station agent 1t is of the story of a
young lady from Ohio, whose name could not
be remembered. She was one of the pas
crash came, with presence of mind and
energy worthy of strong minded masculine,
she seized an axe from its resting place on
the side of the car and hewed her way
safety assured, her thoughts turned
to the helpless unfortunate ones
whose cries for assistance sounded
behind her. They did not call in vain, for
she rushed in the direction of the cries and
and personally aided those poor souls from
the wreck. 10 use her own language: II
did all ] could, and would have continued
had not heard DR.. Perry crying and moan
ing piteously that his feet were burning.
Then my strength gave way, and 1 was
compelled to desist and seek assistance my
self"
BuLI-HEADED RAILWAY OFFICIALS.
II p. m.-All efforts to obtain information
from Huntington as to the names of the
killed and wounded have up to this hour been
unayailing. The Chicago SS Atlantic rail
| way officials, who went there with the
coroner to-day, seem to have complete pos.
| session of all sources of information on this
| point and they refuse positively to make pub
! lie the names of the victims of the disaster
| The killed and wounded were taken from the
| scene of the wreck to Huntington early this
| afternoon accompanied by the coroner
| The water tank at which the wreck tooh
place was tended by an employe, for whose
accommodation small shanty was attached
| to the pump house. For a long time he has
not used it, but has gone into Kouts every
| night leaving the tank entirely alone.
| He was asked tonight what precaution!
| were taken in his absence to prevent such
catastrophe as that which has occurred
| mot a precaution," he answered, Except
sort of thing they call a semaphore. It's al
| English contrivance and is supposed to ac
| as a signal, but it don't"
| The wrcclSing force at the scene of tn,
disaster numbers 300 men and their man,
| lights, stretched along the full length of th
wreck, can be seen miles away over tn,
| marsh Enough of the wreck is still left Il
| give an idea of the mass of ruins strewn be
| fore the tank after the collision. Th
freight train in part escaped, but the from
ways upon each other Not yestig
of any Of the passenger coaches woodwork
was left. The telescoping Of the baggag
car, smoker and day coash had been CON
! pete ana tne speSuy flames did the resi-
leaving not . splinter, the sleeper even sia1
ing the eate of the others. The bodies whic
the coroner found were burned into cinder
I and covered the ground under the trucks.
At midnight the track was still impossible
The coroner telegraphs the Associated pres
from Huntington at midnight as follows
Cannot as yet give the names Of the killed
There were eight adults and one child dea
and two persons wounded at Kouts. Kno'
nothing Of any other wounded"
BELLS LATEST MOVE.
He Has An Injunction Served On 81